Pumping apparatus



1925 4 Sheets J. W. TAYLOR PUMPING APPARATUS Original Filed Sept. 3.

7m l 4.1 I4

Oct-7, 1930. y 1W. TAYLOR 1,777,536

PUMPING APPARATUS original Filedlsept. 3. 1925 4 sheets-sheet 2 0t.7,193o.I iwTAYiOR 1,777,536

PUMHNG'APPARATUS original Filed sept. 3. 1925 4 shwis-sheei` 3 7T ff/6 n FM4.

Oct. 7, 1930. J, w. TAYLOR 1,777,536

PUHPINGYAPPATUS original Filed sept. 5. 1925 l 4 sneets-shee1 4 Q v 46 l 55 value.

Patented oet. 7, 1930 f nNrrlazD "STATES,

PATENTl ori-fica JAMES W.' TAYLOR, SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR TO ECONOMY PUMP-AND OIL K TOOL COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA l PUMPING APPARATUS Application led September 3, 1925, Serial No. 54,382. Renewed December 24, 1928.^

I This invention relates to improvements in pumping apparatus and is especially directed' to the art of lifting oil from subterranean' Wells by the employment of a gaseous motive fluid acting under pressure to lift the.

' from the Well in accordance with the natural rise of the liquid in the bottom of the well;

in admitting the gaseous expelling fluid into elevating cooperation with the liquid in the well in such a manner that sudden and premature expansion of the expelling fluid is prevented, the Weight of the column of liquid to be lifted serving to arrest premature expansion of the expelling fluid so as to avoid 'the cutting or emulsifying ofthe liquid by subjecting the liquid to excessive gaseous pressures, and various other features of construction and opera/tion hereinafter set forth in detail.

Heretofore it has been found impractlcable to operate certain -oil Wells with gaseous pressure. The class of Wells referred to is 'that wherein a small liquid output is obtainable, for if the amount of oil finding its Way to the Well from the producing sands is small, it is evident that the oil will remain at a low level in the Well, ithus making it difficult or impossible to secure what is termed flowing submergence, that is, suliicient oil or liquid above the point Where the lifting gas pressure is being admitted to the tubing to prevent the flowing of the gas through the' oil. Not only is the energy used in compressing the gas lost when attempts are-made to operate this class of Wells, but the violent agitation of the oil by the rapidly and primarily expanding gas cuts and emulsifies the oil to a degree where it has but little commercial The' present invention provides apparatus for overcoming this and other dilliculties and.

makes it both practical and `economical :to operate any andall wells, the arrangement being such that if the Well Will produce suili-l l cient liquid to maintain flowing submergence, then the apparatus maybe set to opermanipulation'of a valve arrangement will adapt the apparatus to the intermittent or `Will appear as the description proceeds, the

invention consists in the' novel features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangements of parts hereinafter to be fullyA described and pointed out inthe appended claims.

y In the accompanying draWingz' ate continuously. Should, however, the sands. become depleted of their oil, then the mere4 Figure 1 is a side elevation of the pumping f apparatus comprising the invention,

Figure 2a is a vertical sectional view taken through a fragment of the apparatus,-

` Figure 2b is a vert-ical sectional view form in a continuation of Fig. 2,

`igure 3 is a vertical sectional View on an enlarged scale taken through the tubing controlling means,

Figure 4 is asimilar View showing the tubing valve mechanism,

' Figure 5 is-an enlarged vertical sectional view taken through the lower part of the apparatus,

Figure 6 is a horizontal sectional view on the line G-6 of Figure 4,

Figure 7 is a vertical sectional vieu7 ofthe governing valve mecha'msm for controlling the posltion of thev well tubmg,

Figure ,8 is a d etail sectional View of the piston used in said controllingvalve mechanism, and

Figure 9 is a sectional view of 4one ofthe valve units of said mechanism.

Referring more particularly tothe accompanying drawings, the numeral'. l represents a well casing Which, as usual, is formed from aligned pipe sections of standarddiameter and length, and arranged to extend from the ground surface ofthe well to or adjacent the oil producing strata. Within this casing there is disposed the usual flow line or tubing 2 which, also` is formed from pipe sections of suitable length and possesses a di'- ameter materially less than the casing 1. The tubing is suspended, as will vbe hereinafter set forth, from the casing head 3 of the well and is adapted to possess a limited axial movement with respect to the casing. The upper end of the tubing is slidably positioned within a cylinder 4 carried by the casing head 3 .and is. threaded into secure engagement- ,with a piston 5, the Said piston being normally elevated within the cylinderby means of a strong coil spring 6, which acts to resiliently sustain the weight of the tubing so that the latter may be moved with facility in an axial direction. The exterior of the piston is smoothly matched and engages with a packing 7 provided in the walls of the cylinder 4. The tubing projects-through and above the piston and the upper portion thereof protrudes through a packing gland 8 provided in the up erend of said cylinder and leads to a suita le point of discharge. The bottom of the cylinder is provided with a head 9, which is threaded as at 10 tothe upper end of a sleeve 1 1 carried by the casing head 3. The numeral 12 designates a nut which is threaded upon-the head 9 and casing iliead and are threaded in the walls thereof so that the inner ends of said screws may impinge -upon the beveled circumference of the enlargement 14, so as to securely draw and hold the sleeve 11 in secured frictional engagement with the casing head. The casing head proper is threaded as at1 17 upon the upper end of the casing 1 and ordinarily seals the upper end of said casing to prevent gas and liquid escape therefrom. Threaded into the vlower end of the sleeve 11 is the upper end of a suitable length of air piping 18 which is of greater diameter than the tubing 2 but of smaller diameter than the casing-1. The air piping 18 is, however, stationarilyarranged within the well in contrast to the vertical longitudinal movement obtained by the mounting of the tubing. The piping 18 which may be term-ed an air line is used to carry the air,or other expelling gas, to the bottom of the well, the annular space between the tubing 2 and the pipin'gz'lS being utilized for this"purpose, and in'this manner the air line is maintained independent of the casing. Nozzles 18 are placed aty intervals in the tubing and operate successively to carry oft` the liquid located therein.

The bottom of th'e casing may be provided with the usual perforated screen 19 in "which is positioned the bottom plug .20 that rests ordinarily on the bottom/ of the well. This plug may also support the bottom of the piping 18, so as' to re ieve the threads 17.

Arranged within the tubing at any suitber 25 is also interiorly threaded for connection with the upper end of the lower length 2`6of the tubing. In this instance the upper length of the tubing is of greater diameter than the lower length. It will be observed that the lower end of the length 26 of said tubing terminates an appreciable distance above the plug 2() in the bottom of the Well. A small orifice 27 is provided in the upper end of the tubing length 26, contiguous to the valve member 25, for the purpose of allowing the escape of any air or gas leakage between the valve member 25 and the seat 22,

.since if this reliefwere not provided, a small leak in the valve structure would be apt to build up a pressure in'the'air line below the valve structure that would prevent the oil entering that part of the line below the valve 21.

When the static head has been carriedoil' the well through the tubing 2, the apparatus is 'regulated for uniform opera-tion by limiting the amount of air or expelling gas which enters the air line at28. Any suitable means may be associated with the entrance28 so as to admit gas ressure into the air line ata uniform stea y pressure, such apparatus having been' illustrated in mv co-pending application,

Serial Number 15,755 filed y March 16, 1925. Assuming that'the wells production be' 24 barrels per`day and'that the air line or reservoir between the valve structure 21 and the check valve 30, in the bottom of the airline, will hold one-half barrel of oil, it will be seen thatthenumber l:fof.h/eads required to keep the oil out of this receptacle or@ reservoir will be forty-eight heads per day, or one head each one-half hour. Assiir'iing, also, head when the pressure i reached one hundre/d pounds, that byfeeding air, or other Aexpelling gas, into the air line at 28 agas pressure may be built up therein slowly and uniformly to one? hundred pounds, andcthis may be regulated so that every thirty 4minutes the valve structure may be Vopened'so as to apply gas e air line has th t' the well is to it will be seen v pressure to the, liquid in the reservoir, that is, in the air line below the valve structure, so as to force the liquid from said reservoir in a. downward direction and causing corresponding elevation thereof-in the tubing or flow line. 4When downward pressure is applied to the, liquid in the reservoir, the check valve 30 automatically closes against its seat 31 and prevents the forcing ot the liquid back into the space between the casing and the air line.

When the pressure has reached, for eX- ample, one hundred pounds in the air line, an automatic governor 33 will act to release the pressure from the upper side of the pistou 5. Since the pressure will then be lower in the upper end of the cylinder 4 than in the lower end, the tubing will be raised by the piston moving upwardly, in response to the influence of the unbalanced iiuid pressures and the spring 6, which results in opening the valve structure 21, allowing the inflow of gas into the reservoir in the bottom of the air line and the consequent expulsion of the liquid through the tubing. When the valve structure is opened, the air or gas which has been held at this point, will rush into the section of the air line below the valve structure and torce the oil that has accumulated therein downwardly in the air line and upwardly in the tubing 19. lllVhile this action is taking place the check valve 30 in the bottom of the air line remains closed and prevents the air from escaping int-o the casing 1 while the oil isbeing forced from the well. f,

Since the air is being fed into the air line much slower than it'is escaping from the line through the tubing, i-t will be seen that there is a rapid'lowering of pressure in the air line. This brings about, as will be h ereinafter explained, a reverse operation 1n the governor 33, and the tubing islowered, closing the valve structure 21 and allowing pres sure to again build up in the air line so as to 'repeat the cycle of operation. I

The governor may be set to open the valve structure at any pressure desired by the operator and also set to close the valvestructure when the pressure in the air line hasdropped to any point desired. In other words 1f 1t is set to start a head at one hundred pounds pressure it may be setJ to close when the pressure has dropped to seventy-fivpounds or less, depending entirely o n the depth of the well and the frequency with which the well is heading. Y

' While the well is heading, the oil from the sands will be free to enter the well through the screen 19 and mount in'thepcasing as shown by the dotted line 34. As soon, however, as the valve structure 21 closes, and the pressure is removed from the reservoir in the air line below said valve structure, by the air escaping' to the atmosphere through vided between the hea the tubing 2, the oil in the casing will lift the check valve 30 from its s'eat and again begin lling the reservoir in the air line.

more pressure against the seat 22 than is i necessary to insure complete closure, and provision is made for this b the adjustment pro- 9 and the sleeve 11, which serves to provide an adjustable limiting means to control the vertical descent of the tubing. When the apparatus is initially installed in the well, the tubing will be ot'` proper length to permit the valve member 25 to be spaced la short distance above the seat 22, with the spring 6 supporting the entire j Weight of the tubing. To secure properclosure and relation between the valve member 25 and the seat 21, the cylinder 4 is then rof tated bodily about the axes of the threads 10, and the tubing thus lowered until the desired normal relation between the seat 22 and the valve member 25 is obtained and normally a complete closure of the valve structure is secured. The nut l2is then clamped dow-n upon the packing 13, the nut serving to lock the cylinder and the tubing in its adjusted position and the packing serving to prevent the yescape of air -or other gas through any looseness which may exist in the threads 10.

In the use of this apparatus, it is intended that theI space between the air line and the well casing shall be utilized to trap the gas arising normally from the oil, since the oil will lind its way into the reservoir through the perforations 35 provided in the coupling 36 at the lower end of the air line, but as these perforations or openings will be submerged at all times by the oil, the gas will not enter the reservoir but will be separated from the oil and trapped in the upper part of the casing. Thus it will be seen the casing is 1 used both as a separator and gas trap, and it is contemplated that the gas will be drawn from the casing by the compressor and used in lieu of air in operating the well.

r If the oilpis entering the well fast enough to maintain submergence or steady flowing then, as will be hereinafter explained, by l closing the valve 37 of the governor 33 and opening the valve 38 which is connected to the atmosphere, .the air pressure will be relieved on the upper side of the cylinder and' the valve structure 21 will remain open, .since the tubing will be raised and remain raised., for the pressure is then permanently greater on the lower side than on the upper side of the piston 5, and a steady supply of air or gas will find its way into the bottom .of the tubing to flow the well continuously.

Referring more particularly to the details of the automatic governor 33, which is emof the cylinder 39 to'prevent uidpassing around the piston gaseous lifting fluid,

obtained from a compressor, tank or other. (not shown) is introduced source of supply into the cylinder by way of they pipe line 44 and acts constantly upon the upper end of the piston.

The pressure thus exercised on the upperend of thepiston causes a' spring-45 to be compressed, and this movement is transmitted tothe spaced valves 46 and l47 by the i studs 48 which strike the adjustable screws 49 rigidly fixed in the oke shaped frame 50. A screw51 is provi ed in the bottom cf the cylinder 39 to place the 'required tension on the spring 45, and the screws 52, adjustably carried by the ends of the frame 50,

permit of a fine adjustment of the devicev relative to the operating stems of the valves 46and47. I.

It will be seen that air supplied to cylinder 4 by pipe 28 is carried from the lowerto the up er side of the cylinder 4 through the valve 3 y way of, pipe 58, valve 46 and pi e 59. Pipe 58 also carries pressure throug the line 44 into the cylinder 39. The arrangement of the v alves 46 and 47 is such that one of the two valves will at all times be'open by the positions of the frame 50, since when one opens the other is automatically closed by the action of the springs 53 therein which engage with the stems of the valves and norto fluid passage and prevents the escape of mallv tend to keep the latter closed, as shown in Figure 9. One of the supporting stanchions 54 for the cylinder 39, and which constitutes a continuation of the line 44, is closed the air or gas through the'relief valve 55.

Also, a support 56, opposite to the entry 44 of the pipe line into the cylinder 39 is closed to prevent the escape of air from the cylinder through the exhaust line 57. l

Assuming it is desired that the well discharge a head of oil'when the pressure in the air line 18 has reached substantially one hundred pounds, the tension on the ,spring will be set by adjusting the screw beneath the same so as to offerone hundred pounds resistance to the plunger or piston 40, When the studs 48 come in contact with the screws 49 the frame 50 presses upon the stem of the valve 47, and this valvewill be forced open and the valve 46 will close automatically for both the pressurein the line 44 andthe action of the spring tend to close said valve. When theivalve 46 closes, the pressure tothe upper side of the cylinder4is shut off at thispoint and is released to the valve 47` by way of pipes 59 and 57. Upon the release of the ressure from the upper side f the piston 5, t e latter will move upwardly and car the tubing 2 with it. This action will lift t e valve structure 21,V unseating the same and allowing the air to enterv the reservoir in the bottom of the l air line-18 below the valve structure, so as to discharge the oilfrom the well in the manner' previously described.

Since the air is being fed to the-air line slower than it will escape through the tubing when the valve structure 21 is open, the. pressure inthe cylinder 39 will begin dropping as soon as the valve structure 21 is o en, thus 'permitting the spring 45 to forceA tl e piston sol 40 upwardly, and this continues l,untll the studs 48 engage theupper screws 49, which opens the valve 46 and allows the valve 47 to close. As this shifting of the valve takes place, the pressure on both-sides'of the piston 5 will agai-nbecome equalized and the tubing no e fraction of the weight of they v ltubing will be resting on the valve seat 22,-

will be lowered and the` valvefstructure 21 again closed.

Since only a it 'is evident that only a few pounds 'ofpressure removed from the upper side of the cylinder 4, will be needed to assure the raising of the tubingNto-open the valve structure 21.

This being true the relief or pop'valve 55 is provided; If the well is being operated with one hundred pounds air pressure, and it is found that the release of ten pounds air pressure is s-uilicient to raise the tubing, then the relief valve will be set at ninety pounds. This prevents the waste of air or gas for it is evident that if the exhaust from the u per side of the cylinder 4 be left open, all o lthe air in this space would be exhausted upon.

Illu

every heading Aof the well, when a fractional y part of the pressure released will bring about the desired result, and furthermore will prevent the vunnecessary escape of air.

frequency with which the well heads'or flows will be determined entirely by the amount of lair forced into the airline, since the faster the air is fled to the line the quicker the, pressure is built, up to the pressure at which the that the operation of this apparatus. will be entirelyautomatic and 'will require no attention other than the air supply."

What 'is claimed is: i

1. In oil well pumping apparatus, a casing,

4a liow line v'and an air line withincsald casing, sald flow line being slidably mountedin said airline for axial movement, a valvemember carried by said flow line 'and cooperative with a seat provided in connection with said Aair line for governing the passage vof air from said air line into the flow line, a'piston coni It will be seen from the foregoing that the I 'well is to head or flow. It will also b'e seen nect'ed with said flow line and operating in a chamber in communication with said air line so' that the gas pressure Within said air line `w1ll assist in supportlng the weight of the flow* line, whereby said valve member may be moved into and out of engagement with said seat in accordance with pressure iuctuations in the air line.

2. .In oil well pumping-apparatus, a casing, longltudinally extending, normally spaced air and flow linesv arranged within said caslng, said How line being slidably mounted insaid air line forl axial movement, a cylinder provided upon the upper end of said casing and having one end thereof arranged in communication with said airline, said airline being extendedV vthrough said cylinder, a

spring in said cylinder and cooperative with y said How line to resiliently sustain the Weight of the latter, and a valve mechanism operated by the rise and fall 4of 1said flow `line to control fluid How from said air line into said flow line.

3. In oil Well pumping apparatus, a casing,

. fioW and air lines extending into said casing,

saidflow line being slidably mounted in said air line for axial movement, means for introducivng an' expelling gas under pressure into said air line, a valve mechanism operated by the rise and fall of the flow line for controlling gas passage through said air line into expelling engagement With the liquid in the flow line, a stationary cylinder above said casingv communicating interiorly with said air line, a piston connected with said iow line and arranged for sliding movement lwithin said cylinder, and automatically operating valve means for admitting of the ap- .plication of uneven gas pressures to the opposite sides of said iston so as to control the rise and fall of said flow line.

4. yIn well. pumping apparatus, a casing, aj vertically movable How line within said casing, valve mechanism governed by the -rise and fall of said flow line for admltting and expelling gas under pressure into'the lower end of said flow line, means for controlling the rise and fall of said flow line consisting f i of a cylinder carried by the upper end of said In testimony casing, ,a iston in said cylinder connected with said ow-line, means connecting one side of-said cylinder with the source of g'as-supply, a pipe lea ing from one side of sald cylinder to an air outlet, a valve in said pipe, a second `pipe leading .from the other side ofsaid cylinder to said outlet, a second valve in said last named pipe, and means responsive to variations in gas pressure for opening and closing said last named valves so as to produce unbalanced pressures on the opposite sides of said-piston.

whereof I aiiix my signature. Y JAMES W. TAYLOR. 

